Tennis rankings decide who is seeded at tournaments, who gets direct entry into the biggest events and who qualifies for the season finals. They are also a constant source of confusion: players drop after winning matches, climb without playing, or are "defending" points from a year ago. The logic is simple once you know the core rule — and you can watch it in action on our live ATP and WTA rankings.
The core rule: 52 weeks, rolling
Both the ATP (men) and WTA (women) rankings are based on the points a player has earned over the previous 52 weeks. Each week, the points from the same week one year earlier fall off and the new results are added. A ranking is therefore not a season total — it is a rolling window.
Not every result counts. Each tour adds up a player's best results within that window — roughly the best 18–19 tournaments in singles, with the biggest events (Grand Slams and the top-tier tournaments) generally counted whether a player does well or not. The exact counting rules differ between the tours and are adjusted from time to time, so the official ATP and WTA rulebooks have the final word.
Points by tournament category
The more prestigious the event, the more points are on offer. For the winner of the singles draw:
| Category | Winner's points (ATP / WTA) |
|---|---|
| Grand Slam (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, US Open) | 2000 |
| Season finals (ATP Finals / WTA Finals) | Up to 1500 for an unbeaten champion |
| ATP Masters 1000 / WTA 1000 | 1000 |
| ATP 500 / WTA 500 | 500 |
| ATP 250 / WTA 250 | 250 |
| Challenger / WTA 125 and lower tiers | Fewer points (scale depends on level) |
Points decrease round by round: a finalist earns a little more than half the winner's points, semi-finalists less, and so on down to the first round. Qualifiers also earn points for getting through qualifying. You can see which category each event belongs to in our tennis calendar.
Defending points: why players drop after winning
Suppose a player won a 500-level tournament last year. When that tournament comes around again, those 500 points are due to drop off the ranking. If the player reaches only the quarter-finals this time, they earn far fewer points — so their total falls, even though they won matches. Commentators call this defending points.
The reverse also happens: a player who was injured at this time last year has nothing to defend, so every win this year is a net gain. This is why rankings can shift dramatically around the Grand Slams.
Reading a ranking table: a player's position is shown with their total points and often an arrow for movement since the last official ranking. "Live" rankings estimate what the next official list will look like if the current results stand.
The race to the season finals
Alongside the 52-week rankings, both tours publish a race that counts only points earned since the start of the calendar year. It resets in January. The top players in the race at the end of the regular season qualify for the season-ending finals (eight singles players on each tour), with rules for alternates and special cases. Early in the season the race looks very different from the rankings; by the autumn the two converge.
Protected and special rankings
Players who are out for a long period through injury, illness or — on the WTA — maternity can apply for a protected ranking (ATP) or special ranking (WTA). It lets them use a ranking close to the one they had before their absence to enter a limited number of tournaments when they return, so they do not have to start from scratch. It does not change their official ranking position.
Why rankings matter
- Entry: tournament entry lists are built from rankings. Lower-ranked players must go through qualifying or receive a wild card.
- Seeding: the top-ranked entrants are seeded so they cannot meet each other in the early rounds.
- Season finals: qualification depends on the race.
- Records and history: weeks at world No. 1 and year-end No. 1 finishes are among the sport's most prestigious records.
Doubles rankings
Doubles rankings work on the same 52-week principle, but each player has an individual doubles ranking even though points are won as a team. Teams that change partners take their own points with them, and entry into doubles draws is often based on the combined ranking of the two partners.
Junior and lower-level rankings
Below the main tours, the ITF runs the junior ranking and the ITF World Tennis Tour, which provide entry points to the professional game. Results at those levels earn points that count towards the ATP and WTA rankings, which is how young players build a ranking from zero.
Follow the movement week by week on our rankings page, check results on live scores, and if any score notation is unclear, see tennis scoring explained.
Frequently asked questions
How often are the tennis rankings updated?
The official ATP and WTA rankings are published weekly, usually on Monday, after the week's tournaments. Many sites, including our rankings page, also show live rankings that move during a tournament.
What does 'defending points' mean?
Ranking points count for 52 weeks. When a tournament comes round again, the points a player earned there a year earlier drop off. If they do not match that result, they lose points — they 'fail to defend' them.
How many points does a Grand Slam winner get?
A Grand Slam singles champion receives 2000 ranking points on both the ATP and WTA tours. Runners-up and players eliminated in earlier rounds receive progressively fewer points.
What is the difference between the rankings and the race?
The rankings cover the last 52 weeks. The race counts only points earned since the start of the calendar year and determines who qualifies for the season-ending finals.